Taipei book fair attracts 550,000 visits in 6 days

Taipei, Feb. 26 (CNA) The annual Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE) drew 550,000 visits during its six-day run that ended Sunday, up 9 percent from the previous year, according to the event's organizer, the Taipei Book Fair Foundation.

The increase in visitors was driven in part by high youth attendance, encouraged by the government's "Culture Points" program that offers NT$1,200 (US$38.01) e-vouchers for culture-related activities and products to people aged 16-22, said foundation chairman Chao Cheng-ming (趙政岷).

According to the foundation, 358 school groups, including some 11,600 students and teachers, visited the book fair, while the number of on-site events and activities rose by 43 percent from last year to 1,162.

The exhibition, held at the Taipei World Trade Center, also attracted 262 international publishers and 266 international copyright agents, and hosted 61 foreign authors, the foundation said.

Speaking at the closing ceremony Sunday, Culture Minister Shih Che (史哲) highlighted the 185-percent rise in copyright-related meetings at this year's fair.

Such meetings, as well as government programs to subsidize foreign language translations like "Books from Taiwan 2.0," play an important role in getting Taiwanese books published abroad, Shih said.

The Ministry of Culture sponsors the TIBE, the largest book fair in the country.